


The Day the Bastard Died

by Buckbarnesmetalarm



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Other, Vanya Hargreeves Deserves Better, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25869010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buckbarnesmetalarm/pseuds/Buckbarnesmetalarm
Kudos: 28





	The Day the Bastard Died

As the early dawn light filtered through her window, Vanya sat on the bed and stared out at the dull background. Cars whizzed by below, honking while the drivers yelled profanities while she tried to piece together her dreams. A quiet sigh escaped her, it had been years since she had left the academy, since she had seen her family. If one could call them that, the only one she had been close to was Five and he had vanished years prior. She pushed her hair back behind her ear, closing her eyes softly. She didn’t want to get up but she had to do a few chores that day.

She stood, sighing quietly and downing two of her pills. Even now? She didn’t know what they were for. She had never questioned it, but she had also been threatened to be thrown out by Dad if she ever stopped taking it. If she had been in a good mind she would have questioned herself why she still took it now, even after he was dead but deep down she knew that fear still lingered. She still seeked out approval, wanting to be seen as anything but ordinary.It didn’t take long for any rising emotions to quell, leaving her in a bland numbness that made her want to curl back up under the blanket and cry. It wasn’t fair, she felt like she wasn’t allowed a life. Like the medicine itself took away any chance she had ever had of having one. 

Her family had had everything worse, she knew that. It was why she forced herself up. She didn’t feel like she had the right to be so down. She didn’t have the right to act like she had trauma when she was never forced to train, forced to fight. She was locked in her room with her violin and the most she dealt with their father was for his long rants about how she wasn’t good enough. Another quiet sigh escaped as she went through her morning routine. Shower, breakfast, a few moments reading whatever book she was currently on. It never changed. It was safe, it was something branded into her mind since they were young. 

Every now and then she wished she had her siblings around still, at least as kids she could sometimes justify pulling away from the routine whenever they would begin yelling or when they would go out on a mission. She felt the burning in her chest as she let her mind wander, wondering where most of them were now. She knew where Allison was. And she had seen Klaus a few times on the street, though she was always quick to duck away. She had no idea of the others though. It wasn’t important, none of them would want to see her anyways. She knew they all likely hated her for what she had written. It had been particularly harsh. Written out of a morphed sense of anger towards them.

She breathed out softly as she went back to her room after her reading, picking her violin up out of the case. Every morning it was the same, this was the only time a smile would even grace her face. She began to play, a song Grace had taught her long ago. Her favorite song that always helped to calm her down. It wasn’t perfect, she wasn’t that good at playing it but… she still enjoyed it. It was the one thing through her life she was good at. The only thing their father had ever shown any ounce of pride in her having picked up. 

She left her apartment after a few hours longer, making her way to the bus stop to get to her audition. Faint nerves filled her but she simply took another pill and they vanished. It wasn’t until she was coming home, making the long walk from the bus stop that she paused to watch one of the tv screens in a random store after seeing the face that drove that cold fear deep in her heart. 

‘Reginald Hargreeves Found Dead.’

A chill crept up her spine and her hand flew to her mouth, she didn’t understand the tears she felt filling her eyes. She wasn’t sad, she wasn’t happy, yet here she was about to start crying over the sudden news. She blinked until they had vanished, she wouldn’t let them fall. She was stronger then that. 

Another pill was taken and she made her way to her apartment, setting her things down and getting another shower. Then she dressed in her comfiest clothes, black jeans and an oversized hoodie, one she would never admit that she had stolen from Luther when they were small. She had never grown much so it still fit her, even after close to 17 years. She fidgeted with the sleeves of it nervously as she made her way to the academy, silently preparing herself for what she assumed her familys reactions would be. She didn’t think they would care over dad being dead, but they would all be there most likely, waiting for the will to be read. Waiting to see the Bastards ashes poured out into the wind. She sighed quietly, closing her eyes as she stood outside the gate. She took a moment for herself before venturing inside, her shoulders slumping as soon as she stepped inside the familiar home. Her eyes darkened and she braced herself, walking the long hall. She saw Grace first, that was enough to send a smile across her face before the moment was ruined by Diego. She lowered her head at his words.

“He was my dad too.” 

It surprised even herself that she was able to speak up but with the glare he sent her before he vanished to his old room she shrank back into the wall. She sighed quietly, sending Allison a tired smile. She was being nice at least. It was… nice. She hadn’t really expected any of them to care about her, she had expected to get pushed into the shadows but Allison was making conversation with her, telling her she was glad Vanya had come. Had she not been utterly terrified of the house, of everyone else she might have even hugged her. 

It didn’t last long of course, mostly everyone had the same type of reaction as Diego and after the funeral she called a cab to leave. She sat outside after bidding Pogo goodbye, staring at the sky. Even with everything it had been good seeing them, feeling like they were a family again even if her chest still ached. She should have let Reginald throw her out back then, maybe things would have been different. Maybe they would be able to look at her without their rage starting to burn. She sighed softly and glanced back at the gilded doors one last time, hearing the laughter that pushed its way through, probably from Klaus’ shenanigans. She gave a tired smile, then stood and got into the cab to go back to her life. She had no idea how much today would change her entire future.


End file.
